Pages

Saturday, February 28, 2015

Stacking
the Shelves is a weekly meme hosted by Tynga's Reviews, every
Weekend.
This is to share books I have acquired from various sources.
Physical books & ebooks both are
welcome. If its something being sent to me by mail, I will not mention it until I actually
receive it.

Okay, short and sweet this week!

♥♦♣♠

Purchased

"You stop fearing the devil when you’re holding his hand…

Nothing much exciting rolls through Violet White’s sleepy, seaside town…
until River West comes along. River rents the guest house behind Violet’s
crumbling estate, and as eerie, grim
things start to happen, Violet begins to wonder about the boy living in her
backyard.

Is River just a crooked-smiling liar with pretty eyes and a mysterious past? Or
could he be something more?

Violet’s grandmother always warned her about the Devil, but she never said he
could be a dark-haired boy who takes naps in the sun, who likes coffee, who
kisses you in a cemetery... who makes you want to kiss back.

Violet’s already so knee-deep in love, she can’t see straight. And that’s just
how River likes it.

Blending faded decadence and the thrilling dread of gothic horror, April
Genevieve Tucholke weaves a dreamy, twisting contemporary romance, as
gorgeously told as it is terrifying—a debut to watch."

***I was actually buying office supplies at the 99¢ store when I saw this!! Instant buy. It was funny in a way. I had recently entered a giveaway (didn't win obviously) that asked for the name of a book on our wishlists so I named this one. Now I have it and for only $1!!! When I got out to the car I did a happy twirl before getting in the car as I was so happy to get this Brand New for such a great price. My husband thought I was nuts.***

♥♦♣♠

Library

A
horrific family tragedy sets sixteen-year-old Jacob journeying to a
remote island off the coast of Wales, where he discovers the crumbling
ruins of Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children. As Jacob explores
its abandoned bedrooms and hallways, it becomes clear that the children
were more than just peculiar. They may have been dangerous. They may
have been quarantined on a deserted island for good reason. And
somehow—impossible though it seems—they may still be alive.

-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-

"After the 1st wave,
only darkness remains. After the 2nd, only the lucky escape. And after
the 3rd, only the unlucky survive. After the 4th wave, only one rule
applies: trust no one.

Now, it’s the dawn of the 5th wave, and on
a lonely stretch of highway, Cassie runs from Them. The beings who only
look human, who roam the countryside killing anyone they see. Who have
scattered Earth’s last survivors. To stay alone is to stay alive, Cassie
believes, until she meets Evan Walker.

Beguiling and mysterious,
Evan Walker may be Cassie’s only hope for rescuing her brother—or even
saving herself. But Cassie must choose: between trust and despair,
between defiance and surrender, between life and death. To give up or to
get up."

Friday, February 27, 2015

Summary: (updated) : "On a rainy spring day
in Seattle, young software tycoon Micah Taylor receives a cryptic,
twenty-five-year-old letter from a great uncle he never knew. It claims a
home awaits him on the Oregon coast that will turn his world inside
out. Suspecting a prank, Micah arrives at Cannon Beach to discover a
stunning, brand new nine-thousand square foot house. And after meeting
Sarah Sabin at a nearby ice cream shop, he has two reasons to visit the
beach every weekend. When bizarre things start happening in the rooms of
the home, Micah suspects they have some connection to his enigmatic new
friend, Rick, the town mechanic. But Rick will only say the house is
spiritual. This unnerves Micah because his faith slipped away like the
tide years ago, and he wants to keep it that way. But as he slowly
discovers, the home isn’t just spiritual, it’s a physical manifestation
of his soul, which God uses to heal Micah’s darkest wounds and lead him
into an astonishing new destiny."-taken from goodreads

Review: Let
me also start off by stating very clearly that this novel is Christian
Fiction. Very strongly so. That is fine with me but I know some do not
enjoy reading it and the plot synopsis does not exactly share that
crucial tidbit in an assured manner.

So there is my first urging to all readers-if
this novel's Christian basing does not match your beliefs, there is a
good chance you will not enjoy this book. Even for me, as a Christian, I
can see this book as being potentially intimidating and how the path to
God is shown here would have bothered me deeply, even if it is taken to
an extreme. When I first grabbed the book, I did not know if was a
religious novel so the original summary does not express that at all and
I feel that it should. I have since read a few variations that have
improved upon this, luckily for future readers.

Summary: "After he is left for
dead during the Clone Wars, a single trooper comes to hate the Jedi who
abandoned him. Years later, he hears of a great and powerful
warrior--the hand of the new Galactic Empire, Darth Vader! Seeking to
serve the Dark Lord, this man, Hock, becomes a stormtrooper and works to
gain the respect of Vader. During a mission against a group of remnant
Separatists, Hock finds himself fighting side by side with Darth Vader,
and the bitterness that had grown inside him is brought to rest." -taken from goodreads

Review: A fast paced comic. Perhaps too fast in my opinion. We have an angry
Clone trooper who was 'abandoned' by the Republic and he is forced to
survive by other means. When he is finally off planet, the Empire is
now in charge so he joins up with them in his admiration for Darth
Vader.

I could not connect with characters in this graphic novel
at all. The narration was dry and broken.

Saturday, February 21, 2015

Stacking
the Shelves is a weekly meme hosted by Tynga's Reviews, every
Weekend.
This is to share books I have acquired from various sources.
Physical books & ebooks both are
welcome. If its something being sent to me by mail, I will not mention it until I actually
receive it.

More catch up books so here is another huge haul post!

♥♦♣♠

For Review

"Golden Son continues the
stunning saga of Darrow, a rebel forged by tragedy, battling to lead his
oppressed people to freedom from the overlords of a brutal elitist future built
on lies. Now fully embedded among the Gold ruling class, Darrow continues his
work to bring down Society from within.

A life-or-death tale of vengeance with an unforgettable hero at its heart, Golden Son guarantees Pierce
Brown’s continuing status as one of fiction’s most exciting new voices."

-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-

"So many secrets for such a
small island. From the moment Anne Merchant arrives at Cania Christy, a
boarding school for the world’s wealthiest teens, the hushed truths of
this strange, unfamiliar land begin calling to her—sometimes as lulling
drumbeats in the night, sometimes as piercing shrieks.

One by
one, unanswered questions rise. No one will tell her why a line is
painted across the island or why she is forbidden to cross it. Her every
move—even her performance at the school dance—is graded as part of a
competition to become valedictorian, a title that brings rewards no one
will talk about. And Anne discovers that the parents of her peers
surrender million-dollar possessions to enroll their kids in Cania
Christy, leaving her to wonder what her lowly funeral director father
could have paid to get her in… and why.

As a beautiful senior
struggles to help Anne make sense of this cloak-and-dagger world without
breaking the rules that bind him, she must summon the courage to face
the impossible truth—and change it—before she and everyone she loves is
destroyed by it."

-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-

"When Rachelle was
fifteen she was good—apprenticed to her aunt and in training to protect
her village from dark magic. But she was also reckless— straying from
the forest path in search of a way to free her world from the threat of
eternal darkness. After an illicit meeting goes dreadfully wrong,
Rachelle is forced to make a terrible choice that binds her to the very
evil she had hoped to defeat.

Three years later, Rachelle has
given her life to serving the realm, fighting deadly creatures in an
effort to atone. When the king orders her to guard his son Armand—the
man she hates most—Rachelle forces Armand to help her find the legendary
sword that might save their world. As the two become unexpected allies,
they uncover far-reaching conspiracies, hidden magic, and a love that
may be their undoing. In a palace built on unbelievable wealth and
dangerous secrets, can Rachelle discover the truth and stop the fall of
endless night?

Friday, February 20, 2015

About the Book

Summary: Some might say he’s courageous, while others would say he’s daring, maybe even a little crazy. But when Joe Dearborne risked his life and ran into a burning building to save a puppy, the local newspaper referred to him as “fearless”—and that’s a pretty big title for a sixth-grader to live up to.

Plus, Joe already has plenty else to worry about. After other daring feats in the past, Joe promised his father he wouldn’t do anything dangerous again, and, alas, he’s just broken that promise.
But whatever trouble he expects to get into with his father, and despite the dangers he’s triumphed over in the past, nothing could prepare Joe for what he’s about to encounter when a cold, bitterness creeps into his home.
A mysterious and peculiar woman named Mrs. Chill has just been hired to care for Joe while his father is away on business. In no time, however, Joe discovers that she’s up to more than cooking and cleaning, and she has plans to destroy his family. Joe’s effort to save them results in perilous, sometimes humorous, encounters, and leads him on a journey through the threatening wilderness where he faces his greatest challenge yet.

The Buzz About the Book

Be sure to check out the Book Review Blitz Wrap-Up for Fearless Joe Dearborne were you can read excerpts from the 40+ reviews generated through the blitz. Here are some of the things reviewers had to say about Fearless Joe Dearborne:

"Part mystery, part adventure, and full of
fun. This book is filled with quirky characters, amusing situations and
challenges that many kids go through in life."-Quote from my review

And here are some of the things other reviewers had to say about it:

Leigh Shearin: "Children from age 8-12 should love this story. It is full of suspense and excitement, but also provides well-disguised learning opportunities, which should please parents as well. I simply can't say enough good things about this wonderful debut novel. Lisa Whitney Mitchell has come out fearlessly, treating us all to what could become an iconic novel!"

Book Description: Always the lone wolf, never the mate...
Alpha Jack Herman used to have a pack, but he's been alone for a long time. When he catches a whiff of another shifter encroaching on his preferred hunting grounds, he's determined to put a stop to that immediately. There's only room for one wolf in Jack’s territory—
Jack.

Thursday, February 19, 2015

ASPIRING JOURNALIST SWEPT INTO HIGH PROFILE MURDER MYSTERY IN THE AMAZON

"Victoria Griffith’s debut novel is a triumph! Amazon Burning is a spellbinding tale of love, intrigue, and murder set in the imperiled Amazon rainforest. A young woman’s coming of age story is deftly woven into this vast ecological conflict, as indigenous tribes struggle to defend their land against the loggers, ranchers, and miners who are destroying it. A nonstop thrill ride that will leave you wanting more."--Courtney Farrell, author of Enhanced

Astor + Blue Editions is proud to present, Amazon Burning [ISBN: 978-1- 938231-94-0 (paperback); US $12.95
New Adult/ Romance/ Fiction; 338 pages;
A debut young adult novel by Victoria Griffith. In this page- turner, Griffith weaves a suspense- action thriller centered on coming of age in a tangled web of romance, mystery, and chaos in the Amazon.

When 22-year-old aspiring journalist, Emma Cohen, is forced to flee the comforts of her NYU student life, she maneuvers an internship from her father at his newspaper in Rio de Janeiro. There, Emma is immediately swept into a major news story--and a life-threatening situation--when a famous jungle environmentalist, Milton Silva, is mysteriously murdered.Emma must now enter the Amazon rainforest with her father to investigate; both awed by the enormity and beauty of the Amazon, and appalled by its reckless destruction. Not only will Emma have to brave the primal world of the Amazon, she must fight to survive the kidnappers, villains, corrupt activists, and indigenous tribes that lay in wait along the ever-twisting trail of the murder case. Stretched to the brink, it’s up to Emma, her father and the dreamy news photographer, Jimmy, to unravel the mystery and live to tell the tale.

There is a girl. Slowly, she pulled the hood from her head . . . Green eyes, black hair. Lena Duchannes.

There is a curse. On the Sixteenth Moon, the Sixteenth Year, the Book will take what it's been promised. And no one can stop it.

In the end, there is a grave.

Lena
and Ethan become bound together by a deep, powerful love. But Lena is
cursed and on her sixteenth birthday, her fate will be decided. Ethan never even saw it coming."-Taken from goodreads

Review: Overall, I enjoyed it. The premise was intriguing and I loved the
aspect of a paranormal romance from the male's POV! That won some big
points for me. So many ya books that have a romance-centric theme are
so focused on what the girl is thinking/feeling/doing and this twists
that around.

While I liked Ethan's thought patterns (so to
speak), his actual character was just so-so. There were a mixture of
things I both liked and disliked about him. Although I really can't
tell you what and this leads to why the book didn't make a higher
rating. I actually read this book a few months ago and wrote some notes
but looking back through my notes I am drawing a lot of blanks about
the book. I remember books I read 10 years ago better than this! So
that is by biggest problem. It is not memorable.

1) Too many books I want to read!- I am still listing all the books I own, but combine that with other books I have on my want-to-read list on goodreads and we have between 8000-10,000 books!!!! No joke. And I am always finding new books to add plus there are constantly more books coming out! What's a bookworm to do?!

2) Not enough space.- Even though my husband literally built me a library, I am picky about how they are shelved and they is no free room. Right now I have a stack by my computer here that don't have a home... Plus once I read a book and IF I decide to part with it, I then have to shuffle books shelf by shelf to keep my books in the right order. Hence why this year is going to be a bigger push on reading some older titles that are overdue on being read. Yet more seem to come in than what goes out.... *Sigh*

3)Time! Or lack thereof...-There is never enough time in the day, week etc. I am often wishing I could just freeze time for a short while to go read.

So I read quite a bit this past week for the readathon. The only thing is most of what I read were graphic novels. I had hoped to finish at least 1 more full length novel but both the books I am working on right now are a bit long. Yet I made good progress in both.

Stacking
the Shelves is a weekly meme hosted by Tynga's Reviews, every
Weekend.
This is to share books I have acquired from various sources.
Physical books & ebooks both are
welcome. If its something being sent to me by mail, I will not mention it until I actually
receive it.

So I though I was almost caught up with past books I got....nope, not even close! I missed nearly a whole month plus I found another bag of books from the used bookstore I forgot about! Guess this gives you an idea how hectic the holidays were, huh?

So here is another HUGE list of books to share with you. I hope you find something new that strikes your fancy. If something does, let me know!

♥♦♣♠

For Review

"Four hundred years ago,
ten convicted witches were hanged on Gallows Hill. Now they are
back…for vengeance.Laura Phillips’s grief at her husband’s sudden death
shows no sign of passing. Even sleep brings her no peace. She
experiences vivid, disturbing dreams of a dark, brooding hill,and a
man—somehow out of time—who seems to know her. She discovers that the
place she has dreamed about exists. Pendle Hill. And she knows she must
go there.But as soon as she arrives, the dream becomes a nightmare. She
is caught up in a webof witchcraft and evil…and a curse that will not
die."

-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-

"Is it possible to
outrun your past? Fifteen-year-old Edie Fraser and her mother, Sydney,
have been trying to do just that for five years. Now, things have gone
from bad to worse. Not only has Edie had to move to another new school
she's in a different country. Sydney promises her that that this is
their chance at a fresh start, and Edie does her best to adjust to life
in London, England, despite being targeted by the school bully. But
when Sydney goes out to work the night shift and doesn't come home, Edie
is terrified that the past has finally caught up with them. Alone
in a strange country, Edie is afraid to call the police for fear that
she'll be sent back to her abusive father. Determined to find her
mother, but with no idea where to start, she must now face the most
difficult decision of her life."

-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-

"Welcome to Innsboro. We’ve been waiting for you. To Reverend David Stanley, the small town of Innsboro,
Tennessee, seems heaven sent, appearing out of a fog on a secluded
mountain road. When he hears the town needs a preacher for its annual
Decoration Day service, it’s as if God himself called him to duty here.
But
as Decoration Day draws near, David begins to wonder about Innsboro. It
doesn’t appear on any map. It lacks any conveniences of modern life. In
fact, the whole town seems cut off from time. Worst of all are the
hideous nightmares, terrifying visions of monsters…and a strange,
pulsing purple light. Perhaps it wasn’t heaven that sent Innsboro after
all."

Saturday, February 7, 2015

So it seems every forum and many blogs participate in various reading challenges. Including me. Yet we all like different types of challenges. Some like short challenges ,others long. Easy, or hard, specific or generic.

For me I prefer longer challenges both on book volume and in time to complete. I hate feeling rushed to complete a lot of reading. Quarter or year longs are great!

I don't like overly specific challenges. The a-z main character challenges or a book from every state, etc, especially if there is a deadline is not my thing. And the more detailed the requirement, the less likely I am to participate.

"The worse are the random yet specific challenges such as: read 8 books this month. Complete 1 book from each of these catagories.

1- Book of poetry

2-A book with a purple flower on the cover

3- a main character with black hair and green eyes

4- A main character who flies a plane

5-A book that takes place between 500AD and 800AD

6-Read a sci-fi novel with at least 2 alien races

7-Read a book with a princess

8-read a book that takes place in Russia"

With things link this it strikes out in two areas. One I might not enjoy the genre's the choices limit me to and two I will end up spending as much time tracking books down as I do reading them! That is not fun to me.

Another thing that some people love or hate are readathons. For me I can really get into these. Even more than challenges these can be a great push for reading. Deweys is my favorite. It is an envigorating push. Lots of participation and encouragements plus fun challenges! Hosts and other users are very interactive for this challenge. I actually like the length of this readathon since it really pushes me to read. The weeklong readathongs, while less pressured, let me relax a bit too much for the challenges. But they are sometimes nice too.

For me the most crucial part to a good readathon is the interaction and encouragement. When people are commenting and tweeting encouragement, checking on your progress, etc, it really pushes me to try harder!

So what are your thoughts on reading challenges? Any favorites or ones you participate in?

What about readathons? Again, any favorites or ones you participate in?

Stacking
the Shelves is a weekly meme hosted by Tynga's Reviews, every
Weekend.
This is to share books I have acquired from various sources.
Physical books & ebooks both are
welcome. If its something being sent to me by mail, I will not mention it until I actually
receive it.

Still playing catch up.....

Sorry for the short post. I did not get to finish this. I had an ear infection and when I was at the urgent care office for my ear I was surrounded by those who were sick and ended up catching something. So I am dizzy from the ear and feverish from whatever I caught. Makes post creations a nightmare. I will try to finish catching up next weekend. Once I get better I will start post creation. Just a heads up-it will be a LONG one!!!

Vol 14: The Vampire Hunter
Society has imprisoned Aido in order to interrogate him about Kaname’s
connection to Sara Shirabuki. Meanwhile, Yuki wants a fresh start with
Kaname, but circumstances arise that may force them apart.

Vol 15: With Kaname missing,
Yuki must now step in as acting head of her clan to maintain the fragile
peace between the human and vampire societies. Will she be able to
regain the trust of the vampire aristocrats, much less Aido?

Reviews:

Volume 14: ?????? <----This is what
was going through my head through most of this volume.

Summary: "After killing the men
who tried to steal her father’s research, Juliet—along with Montgomery,
Lucy, Balthazar, and a deathly ill Edward—has escaped to a remote estate
on the Scottish moors. Owned by the enigmatic Elizabeth von Stein, the
mansion is full of mysteries and unexplained oddities: dead bodies in
the basement, secret passages, and fortune-tellers who seem to know
Juliet’s secrets. Though it appears to be a safe haven, Juliet fears new
dangers may be present within the manor’s own walls.

Then Juliet
uncovers the truth about the manor’s long history of scientific
experimentation—and her own intended role in it—forcing her to determine
where the line falls between right and wrong, life and death, magic and
science, and promises and secrets. And she must decide if she’ll follow
her father’s dark footsteps or her mother’s tragic ones, or whether
she’ll make her own.

With inspiration from Mary Shelley’s
Frankenstein, this breathless conclusion to the Madman’s Daughter
trilogy is about the things we’ll sacrifice to save those we love—even
our own humanity."-Taken from Goodreads.com

Review:Ah the end if here! It is a bitterwseet moment for while I am saddened
that Juliet's adventures for us are over, I an most pleased with the way
Megan Shepherd tied everything together. While many trilogies can
leave loose ends we get very few here. And even those we get are of our
own making and are not pertinent to Juliet's story. All the plot
twists are answered nicely. And let me tell you, there are plenty of
plot twists!

So I tried to pick this blog back up from the slump it sunk into in Nov-Dec. So far much better. I was a bit shorter on book reviews than I thought otherwise I am think it was a good month here.

I participated in a readathon, shared several discussion posts, some reviews, and giveaways!

On a personal level things were a bit rough. My dog had to go to the vet for a nasty ear infection and someone stole our lawnmower. So funds are a bit tight right now so my personal book buying budget is gone for awhile. Luckily I have a decent library plus my book room has plenty to keep me busy until things pick up.